Butt wants spot-fixing case to be reopened

Salman Butt on Friday asked the Pakistan chief justice to look into the spot-fixing scam that led to the banned former captain serving a prison term in England.

Butt returned home last Friday after being freed from Canterbury Prison in England, having completed seven months of a 2-1/2-year sentence for fixing.

Butt said that he knew nothing about the pre-determined no-balls bowled by fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif in a test against England at Lord’s in 2010 and said chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry should reopen the case.

“My wish is that chief justice of Pakistan should look into this matter,” Butt said in Lahore. “Pakistan’s judicial system should review it and tell people who was at fault.”

Butt alleged that he had a document that showed how the no-balls plot was agreed between businessman Mazhar Majeed and fast bowler Amir.

“This document has around 9,000 text messages exchanged between the two and nowhere my name is mentioned,” Butt said.

The former Pakistan captain admitted that Majeed was his agent for three years before the Lord’s test and that he got offers to fix international matches from him. “He offered me and even sent me text message, but I never replied,” Butt said. “That’s why when I returned home I apologized to the whole nation for failing to report to the team management.”

Scotland Yard also recovered cash from Butt’s room in London, which also included marked notes totaling 2,500 pounds ($3,900) that he received from Majeed. But Butt said the money was legally obtained and that the payment he received from Majeed was for an appearance as a chief guest at the opening of an ice cream parlour.

“They never confiscated the money and we got it back from them after giving them all the relevant documents,” Butt said.

Butt was banned for 10 years five of which are suspended. However, he now plans to file an appeal against the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

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